Self-Righting Container

ABSTRACT

An open self-righting container comprising a convex shell with an outer truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like surface, an interior cavity, a rest surface at a stable equilibrium point of the shell, and an opening opposite the rest surface where the interior cavity may include a meltable fuel fitted with a wick.

STATEMENT UNDER 37 C.F.R. §1.77(b)(5)

This application refers to a “Computer Program Listing Appendix,” whichis provided on compact disc. The file is entitled “gomboc_container.stp”(531 Kilobytes, created May 26, 2011), and is incorporated by referencein its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosures relate generally to self-righting objects and, moreparticularly, to open self-righting containers for holding spillablematerials including, particularly, meltable solid fuels.

BACKGROUND

Vertically oriented containers that are open at their top are commonlyused to hold liquids, powders, various particulates, and other spillablematter. In order to maximize the container interior space, minimizeinterior nooks and crannies and weight, and for aesthetic reasons, suchcontainers often comprise a convex shell with a flat bottom.

When such vertically oriented open containers filled in whole or in partwith liquids, powders, various particulates and other spillable mattertip over, they spill their contents, requiring anything from a simpleclean-up to more active remediation if the spilled material is toxic orotherwise requires special attention. Also, when located at the edge ofa support surface like a table, the tipped open container may go overthe edge, causing the container to fall from a height, producing moreserious spillage and possibly breakage of the container.

When such vertically oriented open containers having generally round orspherical exteriors and a generally flat bottom are displaced less thanan amount needed to tip them over, the containers can repeatedly rockback and forth on their rounded or spherical outer surfaces beforecoming to rest. Prolonged rocking can produce spillage over the edge ofthe container by amplifying the disturbance of the material within thecontainer and can also lead to the container traveling a distance whilerocking so that it may reach and fall over support surface edges such astable edges.

Some vertically oriented open containers are provided with substantialweights near their bottoms or use widened bottoms to reduce thepossibility that the containers could tip over. Substantial weightssignificantly increase the overall weight of the containers, making themharder to use, move, and manufacture and more energy intensive andexpensive to ship. Weighted bottoms can also impair the aesthetics ofthe containers if they require thickened bases. The thickened bases willreduce the capacity of the containers relative to their overall size.Containers with widened bottoms may also be undesirable if they becomemore difficult to handle and store than similarly sized containerswithout widened bottoms. Widened bottoms may also have a detrimentaleffect on the aesthetics of containers. Further, neither weighted bottomnor widened bottom containers are generally able to self right afterbeing tipped over onto their sides.

Other vertically oriented open containers use a rounded bottom inconjunction with a substantial weight to lower the center of mass of thecontainer and enhance the container's ability to right itself. Thesecontainers, however, generally right themselves slowly because they mustrock back and forth for a significant period of time before coming torest. Such rocking can produce spillage as described above due tomaterial in the container coming over the side of the container as itrocks. Prolonged rocking can also increase the chance that the containerwill strike another object (or inadvertently be struck) while rocking,causing it to tip over. Further, weighted rounded bottom containerstypically move even more than unweighted rounded bottom containers whileattempting to self right, making such containers more likely to move tounintended locations and potentially to fall over support surface edges.

In addition to liquids, powders and particulates, open verticallyoriented containers may be used to hold solids. For example, candles areoften provided in open containers, where the solid wax of the candlerests in the container interior cavity and a wick fitted into the wax isaccessible from the top opening of the container. If suchcandle-containing containers tip over after the wick is lit, loosemelted wax may spill out or other difficulties may arise. If thecontainers rock too much after being displaced, displaced liquid wax maycome over the container sides. Providing such candle-containingcontainers with bottom weights, widened bottoms or rounded bottoms maybe undesirable for all of the reasons discussed above with regard toopen containers generally. A container design that resists tip-over andquickly self-rights therefore would comprise an important advancement insuch container-based candles.

Embodiments of the present disclosures right themselves and improvespill resistance without requiring bottom weighting of the container orwidening the container bottom. Even in embodiments where bottom weightsare used, the mass of the weight is significantly decreased from thatrequired in prior art weighted containers of like size and mass.Embodiments of the present disclosures return to their resting,equilibrium position after being tipped or pushed and recover withminimal rocking and little or no travel even if tipped more than 90degrees from their upright position. Embodiments of the presentdisclosures self-right when filled in whole or in part with liquids,powders, particulates, or other matter including solids. Embodiments ofthe present disclosures are particularly suitable for use asself-righting candle holders.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosures relate to a recently discoveredmono-monostatic “Gomboc” structure which currently is of interestprimarily to mathematicians and as a toy or object of curiosity. TheGomboc structure is defined in a paper incorporated herein by referencewhich was published by Gabor Domokos and Peter Varkonyi: Peter L.Varkonyi & Gabor Domokos, Mono-monostatic bodies: the answer to Arnold'squestion, 28 (4) THE MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCER 34-38 (2006). The paperdescribes Gomboc structures using the following set of equations:

R(θ, ϕ, c, d) = (1 + d) ⋅ Δ R(θ, ϕ, c)where   − π/2 < ϕ < π/2; 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π; c > 0; 0 < d < 1${{f\left( {\phi,c} \right)}:{\left. \left( {{{- \pi}/2},{\pi/2}} \right)\rightarrow\left( {{{- \pi}/2},{\pi/2}} \right) \right.:{f\left( {\phi,c} \right)}}} = {\pi \cdot \left\lbrack {\frac{^{\lbrack{\frac{\phi}{\pi \; c} + \frac{1}{2\; c}}\rbrack} - 1}{^{1/c} - 1} - \frac{1}{2}} \right\rbrack}$f₁(ϕ, c) = sin (f(ϕ, c)) f₂(ϕ, c) = −f₁(−ϕ, c)${a\left( {\theta,\phi,c} \right)} = \frac{{\cos^{2}(\theta)} \cdot \left( {1 - f_{1}^{2}} \right)}{{{\cos^{2}(\theta)}\left( {1 - f_{1}^{2}} \right)} + {{\sin^{2}(\theta)} \cdot \left( {1 - f_{2}^{2}} \right)}}$${\Delta \; {R\left( {\theta,\phi,c} \right)}} = \begin{Bmatrix}{{a \cdot f_{1}} + {\left( {1 - a} \right) \cdot f_{2}}} & {{{if}\mspace{14mu} {\phi }} < {\pi/2}} \\1 & {{{if}\mspace{14mu} \phi} = {\pi/2}} \\{- 1} & {{{if}\mspace{14mu} \phi} = {{- \pi}/2}}\end{Bmatrix}$

The Domokos/Varkonyi Gomboc structures are homogeneous, convex, have acontinuous outer surface, with both minimal flatness and thinness asthose terms are understood in solid geometry and topology. When a Gombocstructure rests on a generally flat surface it has only one stableresting position (defining as its “bottom” the portion resting on theflat surface) and only one unstable equilibrium point. If initiallyoriented or displaced away from its one stable resting position on aflat surface, the Gomboc structure rights itself returning to the stableresting position without intervention. Furthermore, it returns to itsstable resting position with its bottom at rest again on the flatsurface regardless of how the structure is initially placed on the flatsurface or how it is moved after being placed on that surface.

Domokos and Varkonyi identified a multitude of Gomboc structures thatare homogenous, convex have one stable and one unstable equilibriumpoint and respond to displacement as described above. However, all ofthe structures identified but one—referred to herein as “thenon-spherical shaped Gomboc”—are nearly spherical in outer shape. Theremaining near-spherical Gomboc structures are referred to herein as“the near-spherical shaped Gomboc shapes”.

Non-spherical Gomboc-like structures of the present disclosures differfrom the non-spherical shaped Gomboc structures described by Varkonyiand Domokos, inter alia, in that their shape is truncated or cut offopposite the bottom determined by the stable resting position of thestructure and they have a top opening where they are truncated. Also,structures of the present disclosures are inhomogeneous since theycomprise a shell with an open interior cavity that may be filled inwhole or in part with material that differs in density from the densityof the material making up the shell. Accordingly, the outer shape of theshell structures of the present disclosures will be referred to hereinas a “truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like” shape. The computer programlisting of the Appendix is a computer-readable ASCII-formatted list ofcoordinates and other geometric indicia that may be used by computeraided design or other programs to visually represent an embodiment ofthe truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shape.

Open self-righting containers of the present disclosures thus comprise aconvex shell structure with an outer truncated non-spherical Gomboc-likeshape as described above. The truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shapehas a stable bottom equilibrium point at the bottom of the shell whichdefines a rest surface. The rest surface of the shell is at the oppositeend of the shell from its opening and preferably is generally planaralthough it may be convex or concave.

Embodiments may comprise the above described empty shell as well as sucha shell filled in whole or in part with liquids, powders, looseparticulates and other spillable matter. Also, the shell may be filledin whole or in part with a solid including particularly a meltable solidfuel. The solid fuel may be provided with a wick and function as acandle. When a meltable solid fuel is present, the fuel may include anactive material selected from the group consisting of fragrances, airfresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, malodor counteractants,insecticides, insect repellants, medicinal substances, disinfectants,sanitizers, mood enhancers and aroma-therapy compositions.

A weight may be positioned in the shell between its center of mass andthe rest surface to shift the center of mass of the container toward therest surface. This increases the stability of the container and henceits ability to quickly return to its rest position.

The above and still other objects and advantages of embodiments of thepresent disclosures will be apparent from the description which follows.The following description is merely of preferred embodiments, and theclaims should be looked to in order to understand the full scope of thedisclosures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the disclosures below that are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The disclosures,together with their objects and advantages, may be best understood withreference to the following description, taken in conjunction with thefollowing drawings, in which like reference numerals identify likeelements in the figures, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container comprising a truncatednon-spherical Gomboc-like shell containing a candle in accordance withembodiments of the disclosures;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the container comprising a truncatednon-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the container comprising a truncatednon-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1, rotated 90 degrees from theview of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the container comprising a truncatednon-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the container comprising a truncatednon-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway view of an alternate embodiment of acontainer comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG.1 including a weight positioned adjacent to the resting surface of thecontainer;

FIG. 7 is a partial cutaway view of another alternate embodiment of acontainer comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG.1 with a thickened shell to provide increased mass at the rest surfaceof the shell; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a container comprising atruncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1 coming to rest afterbeing disturbed from its equilibrium position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the disclosures described below are not intended tobe exhaustive or to limit the disclosures to the precise structures andoperation disclosed. Rather, the described embodiments have been chosenand described to explain the principles of embodiments of thedisclosures and their application, operation and use in order to bestenable others skilled in the art to follow the present teachings.

Turning first to FIGS. 1-5, a container 10 is shown comprising a shell12 having an outer surface 14 and an interior cavity 15 with an interiorbottom surface 17. Container 10 can be any desired size or weight. Shell12, which is symmetrical about its central axis A, includes a series ofopposed intersecting outwardly bowed laminae 16A/16B, 18A/18B, 20A/20Band 22A/22B. Lamina 16A intersects lamina 18A along curve 24A, lamina20A along curve 26A, lamina 22A along curve 28A and lamina 18B alongcurve 24B. Lamina 16B intersects lamina 18A along curve 30A. Lamina 18Aalso intersects lamina 20B along curve 32A and lamina 22A along curve34A. Lamina 18B intersects lamina 16B along curve 30B, lamina 20A alongcurve 32B and lamina 22B along curve 34B. Finally, lamina 16B intersectslamina 20B along curve 26B and lamina 22B along curve 28B.

The base or rest surface 32 of container 10 is best seen in FIG. 4. Whenthe shell is disturbed from its stable rest or equilibrium position on aflat surface it will almost always return to the stable equilibriumposition with base 32 resting on the flat surface regardless of how thecontainer is placed on the flat surface or how it is displaced afterbeing placed on that surface. Preferably, base 32 will be flat althoughit may have a convex or concave shape. Base 32 may be shifted upwardlyor downwardly along axis A to create a larger or smaller rest surface.It is preferred, however, to make the base as large as possible subjectto constraints on the minimum desired interior cavity size and anyinterference with the self-righting properties of the container that maybe experienced when the lamina are unduly reduced in size.

Shell 10 has an opening 40 to interior cavity 15 located opposite base32. Opening 40 is defined by a lip 42 at the top of shell 12 as bestseen in FIGS. 1 and 5. In the illustrated candle-holding embodiment,opening 40 should be large enough to provide proper air for combustionand to ensure that the candle flame does not touch the sides of theopening. It also should be large enough to prevent undue heat buildupwithin the container. With these constraints in mind, it is noted thatopening 40 should be as small as possible when it is desired to optimizethe self-righting properties of the shell.

Container 10 has two perpendicular planes of symmetry P1 and P2 as seenin the top views of FIGS. 4 and 5. Planes P1 and P2 intersect along axisA (FIG. 1).

The container can be made of conventional materials such as glass,resin, polymer, metal, ceramic, rock, or the like. These materials maybe clear, opaque, translucent, or partially translucent and may refractor reflect light. Among these materials, glass is preferred whencontainer 10 is partially filled with a meltable fuel and wick asdescribed below.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, container 10 is partially filled with ameltable and preferably solid fuel 50 which may be a wax or other fuelknown in the art for use in candles. The fuel may be a solid fuel whichis liquified, i.e. melted, before or during consumption, such as anyconventional candle wax, such as petrolatum or a microwax, includingparaffin, beeswax, montan wax, carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax,stearic acid, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty esters, or the like, orgels incorporating such fuels, having melting temperatures aboveambient, but below the flame temperature of a wick burning such fuel.Such solid fuel may be colored for decorative effect, if so desired.

The fuel may contain an active ingredient capable of imparting a benefitto the surrounding space or enclosed space in which the fuel isconsumed, and may be accompanied by optional ingredients which can bebeneficial to the active volatile material. The active composition willcomprise an active volatile material including at least one ingredient,and optionally one or more ingredients selected from the groupconsisting of solvents, thickeners, anti-oxidants, dyes, bitteringagents and UV inhibitors. The active ingredient may comprise one or morefragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, insecticides,insect repellants, medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, moodenhancers and aroma-therapy compositions to provide the functionality ofthese additives.

As perfume there can be used any ingredient or mixture of ingredientscurrently used in perfumery, i.e. capable of exercising a perfumingaction, meaning modifying or imparting odor to the surrounding air. Thismeans that a malodor counteracting composition, capable of reducing orsuppressing a large variety of malodors, such as body malodor, tobaccomalodor, kitchen or bathroom malodor for example, are also understoodherein as being comprised in the “perfume,” “fragrance” or “perfumingcomposition” definition. Often, such a perfuming composition will be amore or less complex mixture of ingredients of natural or syntheticorigin. The nature and type of said ingredients do not warrant a moredetailed description here, which in any case would not be exhaustive,the skilled person being able to select them on the basis of its generalknowledge and according to intended use or application and the desiredorganoleptic effect. In general terms, these perfuming ingredientsbelong to chemical classes as varied as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones,esters, ethers, acetates, nitriles, terpene hydrocarbons, nitrogenous orsulphurous heterocyclic compounds and essential oils of natural orsynthetic origin. Many of these ingredients are in any case listed inreference texts such as the book by S. Arctander, Perfume and FlavorChemicals, 1969, Montclair, N.J., USA, or its more recent versions, orin other works of a similar nature, as well as in the abundant patentliterature in the field of perfumery. Many are known to possess malodorcounteracting and/or antibacterial activity so that, in addition tobeing capable of perfuming, and thus imparting a pleasant smell to thesurrounding air, they also help purify and sanitize the latter, and/orremove any malodor (i.e. unpleasant smell) thereof.

Natural oils such as lavender, cedar, lemon and other essential oils andextracts are particularly preferred active ingredients for advantageousembodiments of the invention.

The total amount of active ingredient in the fuel may comprise between5% and 100%, and preferably, between 30% and 70% of the weight of thefuel.

A wick 52 is embedded or located in the fuel and protrudes therefrom.The wick preferably constitutes a conventional wicking material, such ascotton, cellulose, nylon, or paper, or a porous ceramic, fiber glass, orpumice wick, or the like, which by capillary action will carry liquidfuel to the flame. Suitable permanent or non-consumable wicks maycomprise such materials as porous ceramics; porous metals; fiber glass;metal fiber; compressed sand, glass, metal, or ceramic microspheres;foamed or porous glass, either natural or man-made, such as pumice orperlite; gypsum; and chalk. In addition, non-combustible materials suchas metal may be used to create capillary grooves, spaces, or tubes in orbetween closely spaced sheets. However, the use of conventionalconsumable wicks is preferred. The wick may be centrally located or maybe off-center as desired. The presence of two or more wicks is alsowithin the scope of embodiments of the present invention. The wick maybe attached to, adhered to, or incorporated in any manner which does notinhibit the capillary action of the wick in feeding its flame once lit.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a container 10′ of thedisclosures in which shell 12′ with meltable solid fuel 50′ and wick 52′is provided with a weight 60 that rests on interior bottom surface 17′of cavity 15′ of the container. The shell containing the solid fuel hasa center of mass CM. The incorporation of weight 60 shifts the center ofmass of the container downwardly to improve the stability of thecontainer and the rate at which it returns to its stable restingposition. As noted above, the mass of the weight can be significantlydecreased from that required in prior art weighted containers of likesize and mass.

Weight 60 may be made of metal, lead, ceramic, or another material moredense than meltable solid fuel 50′. Also, the weight may vary in sizeand shape so long as it does not unduly limit the container's availableholding capacity.

FIG. 7 illustrates yet another container embodiment 10″ with solid fuel50″ and wick 52″ in which the base 62 of shell 12″ of the container hasa height or thickness greater than the thickness of shell 12″. Thisprovides increased mass at the bottom of the container thereby shiftingthe center of mass of the container downwardly to improve the stabilityof the container and the rate at which it returns to stable restingposition.

Finally, FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of the self-rightingprocess of container 10 which is shown as initially in a verticallyoriented stable resting position I on a flat surface 64. The containeris inadvertently or purposely pushed to the left and so it moves toposition II. Immediately, it will rock back to positions III and IV andquickly return to its stable resting position I on a flat surface 64. Alike righting of the container will occur even if it is initially pushedmore than 90° from its vertically oriented position so that, e.g., pointP strikes flat surface 74.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patentscited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent asif each reference were individually and specifically indicated to beincorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. Theuse of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the disclosures (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language hereinis intended to better illuminate the disclosures and not to imposelimitation on their scope.

Preferred embodiments are described herein, including the best modeknown to the inventors for carrying out embodiments of the invention. Itshould be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplaryonly, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosures.

1. An open self-righting container comprising: a convex shell with anouter truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like surface, an interior cavity, arest surface at a stable equilibrium point of the shell, and an openingopposite the rest surface.
 2. The container of claim 1 wherein the shellis made from a material chosen from the group consisting of glass,resin, polymer, metal, ceramic and rock.
 3. The container of claim 1wherein the shell is made from a clear, opaque, translucent, refractingor reflecting material.
 4. The container of claim 1 wherein the restsurface of the container is generally planar.
 5. The container of claim1 wherein the rest surface of the container is concave.
 6. The containerof claim 1 wherein the rest surface of the container is convex.
 7. Thecontainer of claim 1 wherein the interior cavity is filled in whole orin part with liquids, powders, particulates or other matter.
 8. Thecontainer of claim 1 wherein the interior cavity is filled in whole orin part with a meltable solid fuel.
 9. The container of claim 8 in whichthe meltable solid fuel is wax.
 10. The container of claim 8 including awick embedded in and extending from the meltable solid fuel.
 11. Thecontainer of claim 8 wherein the meltable solid fuel includes an activematerial chosen from the group consisting of fragrances, air fresheners,deodorizers, odor eliminators, malodor counteractants, insecticides,insect repellants, medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, moodenhancers and aroma-therapy compositions.
 12. The container of claim 8wherein a weight having a density greater than that of the meltablesolid fuel is positioned within the container adjacent the rest surface.13. The container of claim 1 in which the shell has a base at its restsurface and the thickness of the base is greater than the thickness ofthe shell to provide increased mass at the rest surface of the shell.14. An open self-righting container comprising: a convex shell with anouter truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like surface, an interior cavity, arest surface at a stable equilibrium point of the shell, an openingopposite the rest surface; a meltable solid fuel in whole or in partfilling the interior cavity; and a wick embedded in and extending fromthe meltable solid fuel.
 15. The container of claim 14 in which theshell is made from a material chosen from the group consisting of glass,resin, polymer, metal, ceramic and rock.
 16. The container of claim 14in which the shell is made from a clear, opaque, translucent, refractingor reflecting material.
 17. The container of claim 14 in which theconfiguration of the rest surface is chosen from the group consisting offlat, concave and convex.
 18. The container of claim 14 wherein themeltable solid fuel includes an active material selected from the groupconsisting of: fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odoreliminators, malodor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellants,medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers andaroma-therapy compositions.